Torres off the mark for Milan

Nathan Williams 07:54 24/09/2014
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  • El Nino: Fernando Torres (c) is congratulated after his first goal in Milan colours.

    Fernando Torres scored his first AC Milan goal but the Serie A giants could do no more than force a 2-2 draw at newly-promoted Empoli.

    The on-loan Chelsea striker, who appeared as a substitute in Satur­day’s home defeat to Juventus was trusted from the off in Tuscany, yet it was Empoli’s Lorenzo Tonelli who drew first blood.

    The Azzurri took a two-goal lead through Manuel Pucciarelli before Torres opened his account in Rossonero colours with a glanc­ing header shortly before the break.

    Keisuke Honda levelled the match with a second-half daisy- cutter but, even though Empoli were reduced to 10 men thanks to Mirko Valdifiori’s red card, Milan could not produce a late winner.

    Needless to say big things are expected of World Cup winner Torres at San Siro and so it seemed the Stadio Carlo Castellani might represent a less-pressurised venue for his full debut.

    Inside 10 minutes he sent Jeremy Menez through on goal and col­lected a cross from Daniele Bonera in a dangerous position before the Empoli defence cleared.

    The Tuscans took a surprise lead in the 13th minute as Tonelli wriggled away from Bonera’s loose marking to power home a header.

    From that point forward Empoli ran riot and might have scored twice more before 20 min­utes had passed.

    They would score again on 21 minutes, Francesco Tavano slip­ping the ball into the path of Puc­ciarelli, who beat Abbiati with rela­tive ease.

    Milan dropped deep to avoid further embarrassment and slowly recovered from their shell-shock.

    It fell to Torres to ease the rising pressure and send the visitors in at the break in a brighter mood as he opened his account for Milan.

    Ignazio Abate’s cross arrived from the right wing and Torres sprang into the air to connect with the ball and send it home in a high looped arc over Sepe’s head.

    Two minutes before the hour, Honda created space for himself on the edge of the box, switched the ball onto his preferred left boot before driving along the grass and into the bottom corner.

    The visitors finished strongly but had to settle for a point. 

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